Abstract: The life and performance of high pressure sodium vapor lamps using double wire ceramic seals and no exhaust tube is improved by an end closure and inlead structure which prevents condensation of sodium-mercury amalgam on sealing frit. One end of the arc tube has a plug portion which forms an integral part of the alumina tube without any sealing frit or glass intervening between portions. The plug portion includes a pedestal portion which projects inwardly from the outer region which is joined to the tube. The pedestal defines with the tube wall a ring chamber in which excess amalgam collects out of contact with any sealing frit. The other end of the tube is conventionally sealed by using sealing frit to cement an alumina plug but it is designed to run hotter to prevent condensation of amalgam at that end.

Abstract: A high-efficacy, high power ultraviolet radiation lamp is disclosed. Electrodes are respectively provided at two ends of a discharge tube, and at least a rare gas is sealed in the discharge tube. The discharge tube is curved in a U shape. A reservoir for reserving a radiant material for radiating ultraviolet rays projects from the discharge tube. An isolating section is provided to surround at least the reservoir. The isolating section adjusts the temperature of the reservoir and supplies an appropriate amount of radiant material into the discharge tube.

Abstract: A mercury capsule for dispensing mercury into an arc discharge lamp comprises an annealed metal member having a predetermined wall thickness and including a generally tubular main body portion containing a predetermined amount of mercury and a sealed end portion adjacent the main body portion. Means for sealing the end portion includes a flattened, generally planar configuration having at least one sealing constriction formed in the end portion. The sealing constriction has a defined cross-sectional thickness relative to the wall thickness and enables containment of the mercury within the capsule below a predetermined elevated temperature. Preferably, the predetermined cross-sectional thickness of the constriction is less than or equal to about two-thirds of the wall thickness of the metal member.

Abstract: To be able to handle minute quantities of liquid mercury or liquid mercury lloy, for example to introduce said minute quantities into the discharge vessel of a discharge lamp, a retention body in form of a pill or pellet is formed which is a porous of a metal or mixture of metals or metal alloys which have a melting point above 250.degree. C., are not wetted by mercury, and do not form an alloy with mercury. To make such a body which, for example, is made of iron, iron and copper--to reduce oxidation, nickel and copper or iron, chromium and possibly also nickel, a metal salt of the respective metal is electrolytically enriched with mercury to form a mercury--metal suspension; in case of several metals, the suspensions are mixed, coated with aqueous-free glycerine, tempered, washed, dried, non-absorbed mercury is filtered off, and the resulting filter cake is pressed out at high pressure, of 5 to 60.multidot.10.sup.7 Pascal; the brittle pressed body is pulverized and pellets of dimensions of about 1.

Abstract: A high pressure sodium lamp includes an arc tube having an inner diameter greater than 12 mm. An amalgam including a prescribed quantity of sodium and mercury is sealed in the arc tube. To achieve the maximum lamp efficiency in different values of the inner diameter of the arc tube, the lamp should satisfy the following relationships:(10.sup.0.848 .phi..sup.(-0.171) log X+(0.105.phi.-10.22)<log Y<(10.sup.0.848 .phi..sup.(-0.171) log X-10.sup.1.43 .phi..sup.(-0.574)), and(-7.97 log.phi.+14.8)<log .DELTA.V<(84.7 log.phi.-84.5)where .phi. (mm) is the inner diameter of the arc tube, X (wt %) is the ratio of the quantity of sodium to the quantity of amalgam sealed in the arc tube, Y (mg/cc) is the quantity of sodium sealed in the arc tube, and .DELTA.V (v/cm) is the electric field strength when the lamp is operated.

Abstract: Electrodeless low-pressure discharge lamp having a lamp vessel sealed in a gas-tight manner and filled with a metal vapor and a rare gas. The lamp vessel comprises a glass envelope which is connected in a gas-tight manner to the edge of a conically widening collar at the end of a tubular part of a sealing member also made of glass. The tubular part accommodates a rod-shaped core of a magnetic material by means of which a discharge is generated in the lamp vessel during operation of the lamp. An exhaust tube extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tubular part terminating at the wall of the conical collar. The end of the exhaust tube engages round an orifice in a planar surface in a cam-shaped recess provided in the wall of the conical collar. The planar surface extends substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the tubular part of the sealing member.

Abstract: An amalgam of mercury is placed at the anode end of a low-pressure mercury discharge lamp for D.C. operation to counteract mercury vapor depletion at the anode end of the lamp. The amalgam attracts mercury vapor to the anode end of the lamp when the lamp is turned off to maintain uniform mercury vapor distribution in the lamp.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dosing composition useful in high pressure sodium lamps. The invention relates specifically to new multicomponent alloy fills for HPS lamps and the design of such fills. The present invention provides an HPS lamp dosing composition that will supply the required amount of sodium and mercury for proper lamp operation, but which will have a lower vapor pressure during the sealing operation, such that mercury loss from the composition will be lower than that from the presently used sodium amalgam. In the present invention, either one of the compounds, Ti.sub.3 Hg or Zr.sub.3 Hg, is mixed with an intermetallic compound of sodium that has a melting point above about 600.degree. C., such that both the mercury and sodium metal are stabilized to avoid melting or vaporization at about 600.degree. C. The preferred sodium compound is Na.sub.3 Bi, which melts at 755.degree. C., although Na.sub.3 Sb and Na.sub.2 Te with higher melting points may be used.

Abstract: A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp comprising a discharge vessel (2) which is sealed in a vacuum-tight manner and in which during operation of the lamp a discharge is present, while this discharge vessel contains a small quantity of an alloy (11) which forms with mercury an amalgam, which alloy is composed of bismuth, lead and silver.

Abstract: A method of forming a sealed capsule containing a submilligram quantity of mercury or the like, the capsule being constructed from a hollow glass tube, by placing a globule or droplet of the mercury in the tube. The tube is then evacuated and sealed and is subsequently heated so as to vaporize the mercury and fill the tube therewith. The tube is then separated into separate sealed capsules by heating spaced locations along the tube with a coiled heating wire means to cause collapse spaced locations therealong and thus enable separation of the tube into said capsules.

Abstract: An amalgam is disposed within the arc tube of a high intensity arc discharge lamp so as to stabilize the electrical power being supplied to the lamp against variations in line voltage. The vapor pressure of mercury in the arc tube varies as a function of the lamp temperature which depends in turn on applied lamp voltage. The resulting change in arc voltage due to corresponding changes in mercury pressure operates to restore the power input to its approximate original value.

Abstract: A method of forming a luminescent layer on a glass carrier (such as the wall of a discharge vessel of a low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp) from a suspension of grains of a luminescent material and a quantity of binder in a suspension medium. According to the invention, the suspension medium preferably consists of water and the binder mainly comprises fibrous crystals of boehmite.

Abstract: In an arc discharge device, a thin film bridges the gap(s) between adjacent electrodes, thereby enabling the arc discharge to be initiated and sustained by a low voltage D.C. supply. Application of the invention to both light source (e.g., laser) and material working (e.g., metal deposition) embodiments is described. One of the light source embodiments utilizes a cathode electrode which includes a pool of liquid Hg to generate a Hg ion plasma.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for sensing a mercury dispensing target within an arc-discharge lamp and connecting a DC voltage source thereto to effect current flow and heating of the mercury dispensing target in an amount sufficient to effect dispersion of the mercury within the lamp.

Abstract: A tubular discharge vessel for high pressure sodium vapor lamps has a wall 1 made of light-transmitting material. The tube 1 is hermetically sealed at each end by a respective ceramic stopper 2 through which is passed a respective current lead-in wire 11. An electrode 8 is joined via a shank 10 to the current lead-in wire 11. The interior of the tube is filled with noble gas(es) and metal additive(s), e.g. sodium, mercury and/or cadmium. A cavity 9, preferably of rotationally symmetrical shape is formed in at least one of the stoppers 2. In operation of the discharge tube the cavity 9 is the cold spot. i.e. the internal wall of the lowest temperature. The volume of the cavity 9 is at least equal to the volume of the metal additives in their liquid phase.